Lis Sladen has died.

[SiHart]

This may turn out to be untrue, but reputable sources are saying Lis Sladen has passed away.

Will let you know if it's confirmed.

[Perry Vale]

RIP, if true.

[Andrew Curnow]

Gosh I really hope not, how awful for her family & friends if it is.

[SiHart]

I really hope so too. I was shocked when i saw it.

[SiHart]

Sorry guys, this is for real.

RIP Lis

[Simon R]

This is awful. At least Nick Courtney was a good age and his illness was fairly well rumoured but this has come out of the blue. I feel sick.

[Philipnet]

No way!

[Anthony Williams]

Erm.... wow. I'm lost for words right now.

I would say "I had no idea she was ill", but everyone seems to be saying that. Obviously, it was kept quiet.

RIP Elizabeth Sladen.

[Andrew Curnow]

A real shock, poor Lis, and my heart goes out to her friends & family. I guess those close to her knew she was ill, but still a dreadful thing.

Very sad news indeed.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Has anyone said anything about illness, or is that just a guess?

[Anthony Williams]

Cancer, apparently.

Ant x

[MacNimon]

What a shock! This is all the worse by being so unexpected...

RIP Elizabeth

[Llordllama]

OMG. This is a shock and then some.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

When I saw "Lis Sladen..." on the main menu page I did fleetingly think maybe it was going to be this sort of thread, but I almost laughed to myself as it seemed so ridiculous. Then I decided it must have been some news about the SJA or something. It really was a shock when I saw it.

[Jon Masters]

Gutted. As Tom will always be my Doctor, SJS will always be my Doctor's best friend.

RIP

[Milky Tears]

I'm stunned!

RIP

[SiHart]

It's just unbelievable. It doesn't seem possible that she's gone.

While for a time she wasn't a huge favourite of mine, she's done amazing work over the last few years in ways none of us saw coming. Who'd have thought she'd be a children's TV icon all over again?

[duncan]

Oh my god! That's shocking news. My favourite ever companion.

RIP Sarah Jane

[Andrew Curnow]

While for a time she wasn't a huge favourite of mine, she's done amazing work over the last few years in ways none of us saw coming. Who'd have thought she'd be a children's TV icon all over again?

Indeed Si, and in hindsight I wonder if that's why they filmed some episodes for a series 5 last year while making series 4.

It's all very sad, and thanks to NewWho and the SJA there'll be several generations who feel they've lost somebody special.

[Dino]

I didn't expect to hear about this. I don't think I can do her justice in a post.
I am moved by all the Sarah Jane avatars I'm seeing.
R.I.P. Lis

[Jason Thompson]

This is just... unbelievable. Nick Courtney was bad enough, but (without wishing to seem insensitive) he was quite elderly and we knew he had been ill for a while. Lis Sladen, well, did anyone see it coming? She was not only an icon of the classic era of Doctor Who, but made a tremendous comeback to the new series and seemed to be going from strength to strength. How sad to think that the Sarah Jane Adventures will never now get a 'final' episode, and the next time I watch The End of Time her brief cameo in that will seem so much sadder.

She will be missed, but she will NEVER be forgotten.

[SiHart]

Tribute at BBC DW site: http://ht.ly/4DHwE
and here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13137674

[Stephen Morgan]

I had just arrived to work and was on the clock clocking in when one of the boys off afternoon shift greeted me with this news. I didn't know whether to believe it or not so rushed to the BBC news site to have my fears confirmed.
Our Sarah Jane, gone, I can barely take it in right now and I'll return to this thread when I get home.

[Simon R]

It's impossible to take it in. Sarah Jane has always been there. She was in the first two videos I ever got and then came back for the Pertwee radio plays, Dimensions in Time, Downtime and then the new series.

[Darren]

Just seen this on the BBC site. Absolutely shocked! I had no idea she had been ill. Too young far too young.